March Madness!

...but not in the basketball sense...in my handmade life!

I've sold 9 items in the last week, 7 in 24 hrs, and 2 last night. I'm THRILLED that sales have picked up, and can only hope to keep the momentum going.



A coworker in another dept. in the Museum saw my shop on my Facebook profile and bought a couple items from me for his sister's 25th birthday. He's from Texas and mentioned that they both have a thing for sugar skulls. After selling him the two things he was interested in, I went home and checked out how much fabric I had left in the two sugar skull colorways I use and made more things for my shop. It felt like the minute I listed them, they sold! Such a great feeling! So I made more and listed them!


(click photos for more info!)

A few years ago, I started the tradition of making a birthday gift by hand for my Aunt Gailey. She's my knitting and sewing aunt, and we have a really great relationship. Her birthday was 03/08, and I knew what I wanted to make her.

My grandmother Esther (father's mother) passed away from Emphysema many many years ago. I was a wee child, the age of 7 when she died. Esther was a depression-era lady. She took buttons off of shirts that were too worn to wear so she could put them on other things. She canned, she sewed, she darned socks. She was a crafty lady, in all sense of the word.

When my grandfather Steve died in 2000, all of the grandparents' items were divided up over the 5 children and their grandchildren. I asked for this poster that used to be in Grandma Esther's little room that said "Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits." I absolutely love it because it's so odd but so great!

Well, I thought how perfect it would be to cross-stitch my own version of this poster for my Aunt Gailey's birthday this year. So I did! I hadn't embroidered anything in soooo long. It took me weeks, but this was the final product, framed:



Well, in the time it took to write this post, I sold my 300th item!!! Yayyy! I did a happy dance to Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" and now it's time to get back to work!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Lazy Saturday...

I had all of these things I planned on doing today and got nearly none of them done! I did spend some time on my computer and got some stuff done there.

I finally updated my Flickr account to where I want it to be! I created an account years ago and all the photos were terrible and it just wasn't fun, so I revamped it, deleted all the really old photos, created sets of self-portraits and things I've made for Etsy...added myself to some groups, found a few contacts...Yay! I'd been putting off fixing it up for a while.

I also sat at my sewing machine and made a pair of baby shoes for My shop:


(Click photo for more info)

And now I'm going to clean my apartment, order a veggie burger and make some more stuff.

<3 Always,
--Taina

January 3/10 and 4/10

I've been cutting tons of fabric recently and finally sat down at my sewing machine late last night to stitch fabric pieces together. I told myself I could watch "Baby Mama" only if I sewed the entire time I watched it. I have had "Baby Mama" from Netflix for more than two months and still hadn't seen it!

So while watching it, I made two pairs of baby shoes:

The pair above is definitely one of my favorites I've made so far. I think they are just darling!



(As always click the photos for more info!)

And right now? I have FIFTY items in my shop! I don't know if I've ever had 50 items in my shop before. I have another showcase date coming up in a couple weeks, so hopefully I will sell some of these items!

So today I hope to sew a couple more pieces. First? I have to go to the Post Office. I now have two penpals and I feel like I'm slacking! I already missed the drop-off time for my corner blue mailbox and I should probably drop off my netflix dvds. eeps!

<3 Always,
--Taina

New baby shoes!

Hooray! I sold a pair of dragonfly baby shoes and made another pair. I also just listed these really fun and colorful yellow shoes:


(Click photo for more info)

I cut the fabric for 3 more pairs of shoes and another pillow last night. I plan on sewing another pair of shoes tonight and the pillow tomorrow morning. I have a Showcase date on Etsy starting at midnight EST tonight. I hope it generates some good views and maybe even a few sales!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Hooray for sales!

Now that I'm listing something new everyday, sales are picking up a bit! I sold 3 items this week, not too shabby for the economy being as awful as it is currently. I sold two pairs of baby shoes (one custom order). and couldn't be more thrilled!

Here's my latest pair of baby shoes, I <3 the dragonflies!


(as always, click the photo for more details!)

I'm currently making origami boxes for them out of thick square baby-themed scrapbooking paper, to make them as adorable as possible when I ship them this afternoon. I just think they'd be perfect with shoe boxes to match.

On the list of things to do today?
1. photograph latest baby shoes.
2. make one more pair of baby shoes and photograph them.
3. make origami shoe boxes.
4. package up items to be shipped.
5. Go to the Post Office.
6. Take an hour nap?
7. exercise with new Pilates ball & dvd.
8. Meet up w/ Bette this evening

<3 Always,
--Taina

Back to the Drawing Board

Hello everyone!

I've been neglecting "My Handmade Life" and for that, I apologize. It took a while for my roommates to get settled to the point where I felt comfortable sewing while they are home, and I was spending lots of my free time promoting our new president-elecct before election day. But I'm back! With lots of patterns floating around in my brain.

First? I went to Pennsylvania this past weekend to celebrate my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. I don't have photos yet, I will post some when they are e-mailed to me. I had a chance to go to Joann's with my cousin's wife April on our last day there and took it! I wish there was a Joanns Fabrics in NYC! I bought SO MUCH STUFF! So be on the look-out for new fabric prints in my shop in upcoming weeks!

Here's a photo of one of my latest makeup bags in the new fabric:


(Click photo for more info)


Second? I won 2nd place for my photo in the Lomography contest I posted about a couple months ago! Yay! I won a Pop 9 camera, I hope I receive it today! Again, photo to be posted soon. It's early in the morning. =P

Third? I'm going to be making sewn baby booties and retro aprons finally! I couldn't be more thrilled about these two. I'm all about the retro aprons, since I've always wanted to make one for myself.

So that's it. I'm off to sleep for another 30 mins before work.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Allergy Monsters are here!

I suffer from terrible seasonal allergies. Especially in Spring and Fall. I have found that I am searching high and low for tissues in my huge purse on the subway while sniffling. I sniffled all the way through my last union meeting on Monday because I forgot my tissues in my bag!

When I was a child, I was friends with this boy named Caed. He was super cute but allergic to EVERYTHING. I remember he always had kleenex on hand. A good friend to have when you also are allergic to all things dusty, furry and pollen-y!

I've been wanting to come up with a new product that is great for adults who aren't afraid of being silly as well as for kids.



I just listed my first Allergy Monster yesterday! It's a kleenex case that you won't lose, you just place your tissues inside and the allergy monster will help you ward off the awkward sniffles. Also a conversational piece.

It came from my desire to either give away my fabric paints or find something to use for, as I haven't used them in a year and am still Spring cleaning.

I thought about how I could really use a tissue pouch, and remembered I have about 4 yards of thick linen. Then came the fabric paints, a little iron setting, and my first Allergy Monster was born! I'm thinking about naming them different names. Anyone have any thoughts? I'd love to hear them!

<3 Always,
--Taina

**OH MY GOODNESS! I sold the item hours after I listed it! I will have to list my others soon!